New for 2010: Mercedes-Benz

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We've tempted you with an early look at the sensational 2011 SLS AMG, but the 2010 E63 AMG is also cause for rioting in the streets. Its handbuilt 518-bhp 6.2-liter V-8 is shoehorned into the dynamic new E-Class 4-door body shell, and paired with the SpeedShift MCT-7 transmission, whose lightweight multi-disc clutch pack replaces the torque converter and enables 100-millisecond shifts via steering-wheel paddles. Of course, the "regular" new E-Class sedan and coupe (the latter replacing the CLK) are not hurting for performance either, available with either a 268-bhp 3.5-liter V-6 or a 382-bhp 5.5-liter V-8. The sedan will also be available with the BlueTEC V-6 turbo­diesel sometime in early 2010. They're also chock-full of safety features including Attention Assist, which senses mainly through patterns of steering input whether a driver is drowsy, and then sounds a chime; Distronic Plus; and Adaptive Highbeam Assist and Lane Keeping Assist (the last two, sedan-only options).

The C-Class sedan Sport models get an optional Dynamic Handling Package with active damping suspension, 18-in. wheels and speed-sensitive steering. The SLK now comes in a Diamond White special edition with sport suspension, 18-in. AMG wheels and a special two-tone interior, while the marque's other retractable-hardtop, the SL, still looks fresh from its 2009 makeover. The gorgeous CLS and CL continue largely unchanged, save for premium leather on the steering wheel and an enhanced tire pressure monitoring system, changes that apply to the entire 2010 Mercedes-Benz lineup. The S-Class? Its exterior has been lightly restyled, and between standard and AMG variants you can get V-8 engines with 382 or 518 bhp, or V-12 powerplants with 510 or 604 bhp. The really big news here is the S400 Hybrid that's the first such production vehicle to employ lithium-ion batteries. It generates a combined 295 bhp and is capable of 29 mpg.

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